Cotton-gin-breast-actuating device



Aug. 21, 1928.

1,681,837 T. M. BRUCE COTTON GIN BREAST ACTUATING DEVICE Filed Dec. 15, 1927 flag-:

INVENTOR lZz'm/fisi ffigwa ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2.1, 1928.

UNITED STATES THOMAS M. BRUCE, OF CALUMET, OKLAHOMA.

COTTON -GIN-BREAST-ACTUATIN G DEVICE.

Application filed. December 13, 1927. Serial No. 239,756.

My invention relates to cotton gins and more particularly to cotton gin breast actuating devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a cotton gin breast actuating device or mechanism which is automatically latched to sustain the breast against falling, upon being actuated to elevated position, and thereby prevent injury to an attendant or workman.

Further the invention provides a latch which is operableto retain the usual actuating lever for the gin breast in position to retain the latter in elevated position, which must be manually released before the gin breast may return to normal position.

lVith the preceding, and other objects and advantages in mind, the invention consists in the novel combination of elements, constructions and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically referred to, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a gin embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the gin breast in elevated position;

Figure 3 is a view partly in horizontal section and partly in elevation of the-same; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of the gin with the latch device in operative position thereon.

Referring to the invention in detail a conventional cotton gin having the usual gin breast 6 pivotally supported to swing about a horizontal axis 7, is provided. A horizontally disposed rock shaft 10 is journalled in the frame of the gin below the lower or free end of the gin breast, and connected thereto is a lever 11 having operative connection with the rock shaft whereby the gin breast will be elevated upon actuation of the rocli shaft in one direction. A normally vertically disposed hand lever 12 is fixed to one end of the rock shaft for actuating the latter.

For the purpose of retaining the gin breast in elevated position when it is desired to gain access to the interior of the gin, a latch is provided comprisinga horizontally disposed arm 13 having one end attached to the gin in advance of the hand lever and its opposite end offset from the gin, as at 14. A bolt 15 passes transversely through the base 0f the cottin gin and projects laterally from the latter, and extends through the offset end of the arm. To retain the arm in offset relation, a

'18 being rigid, the

spacing sleeve 16 is received on the bolt with one end positioned against the gin base and its opposite end bearing against the offset end of the arm. A normally angularly disposed latch arm 17 has one end pivotally mounted upon the outer end of the bolt 15 and is pivotally connected adjacent its free end with one end of a lever 18, the latter being pivotally connected with the hand lever 12 at a point intermediate the ends of these levers, as at 19.

A lateral extension or stop 20 is formed upon the free end of the latch arm 17 and is cngageable with the upper edge of the lever 18 when the hand lever is actuated to a rearward position. To break the pivot joint between the latch arm 17 and lever 18, the outer end of'the latter is formed with a foot engaging bar 21.

Operation.

The gin breast Being in normal position and the various parts disposed, asillustrated in Figure 1, the gin breast is lifted to the ele vated position, illustrated in Figure 2, by rocking the hand lever 12 rearwardly. Incident to the movement of the hand lever, the

lever 18 assumes a substantially horizontal position with the latch arm in longitudinal alinement therewith and the stop engaged with this lever 18. Due to the factthat the hand lever is now beyond dead center and the pivot joint between the latch arm 17 and lever gin breast is positively held in elevated position. To permit the gin breast to be returned to normal position, the pivot joint between the latch arm 17 and lever 18 is broken by depressing the outer end of the lever 18 to dispose this lever and the latch arm in divergent relation. The gin breast may now return to normal position by gravity or by actuation of the hand lever to a vertical position.

What is claimed is 1. In a gin attachment, an actuating lever to be pivotally supported on a gin frame and have operative connection with the gin breast, a pair of normally divergent members, one of which being pivotally supported and the other being pivotally attached to the actuating lever whereby such members will be caused to assume a substantially horizontal position upon actuation of the actuating lever in one direction, and a stop carried by one of such divergent members and engageable with the other when the divergent members assume such horizontal position and thereby render the pivot joint between them rigid to support the gin breast in elevated position.

2. In combination a gin breast pivotally supported to swing about a horizontal axis, an actuating lever pivotally mounted to swing about a horizontal axis and operatively connected with such gin breast, a pair of normally divergent members, one of which being pivotally sup orted and the other being pivotally attache to the actuating lever whereby such members will be caused to assume a substantially horizontal position upon actuation of the actuating lever in one direction, and a stop carried by one of such divergent members and engageable with the-other when the divergent members assume such horizontal position and thereby render the pivot joint between them rigid and to the gin breast in one position.

8. In combination a gin breast, an actuating member operatively connected therewith for raising and lowering the gin breast, a pair of normally divergent members pivotally con- ,riected together and one of which having one end pivotally supported and the other having pivotal connection with the actuating member whereby upon actuation of the actuating member to raise the gin breast the normally divergent members will assume a position where they will be disposed in longitudinal alinement, anda stop carried by one of the divergent members and engageable with the other to render the pivot joint between them rigid when the divergent members are in longitudinal alinement.

4. In combination a gin breast, a hand lever pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis and having operative connection with the gin breast whereby to raise and lower the same, a normally angularly disposed latch arm pivotally supported adjacent the hand lever, a lateral stop carried by the free end thereof, a lever normally disposed in divergent relation to the latch arm with one end pivoted thereto and having operative connection with the hand lever whereby upon actuation of the latter in a direction to raise the gin breast the lever and latch arm will be disposed in longitudinal a ement with the stop engaging such lever to latch the gin breast in raised position V 5, In a gin attachment, a p oted actuating lever for operative connection with a breast whereby to raise and lower the same, a secondlever intersecting the actuating lever and pivotally connected thereto intermediate the ends of the former, a latch element pivotally connected'with the second lever and arranged to be pivotally mounted on a support, the second lever and the latch element assuming a position where they will be in longitudinal alinement upon actuation of the actuating lever in a direction to raise the gin breast, and a lateral lug carried by the latch element to engage the second lever to render the pivotal connection between such lever and the latch element rigid when the actuating lever is in such actuated position.

6. In a gin breast raising and lowerin device, a pivotally supported hand lever, an arm supported adjacent the hand lever, alatch element pivoted to the arm and normally disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the other, a lever normally disposed in divergent relation to'the latch element and having one end pivotally connected with the latter intermediate its ends and also having pivotal connection with the hand lever and having its forward end projecting beyond the hand lever to constitute an actuating member, and a stop carried by the latch element to engage the lever upon actuationof the hand lever in a direction to raise the breast and thereby latchthe hand lever against movement in the opposite direction, the actuating member be ing operable to rock the lever to a position to dispose the latch element in divergent relation thereto to permit the hand lever and gin breast to be returned to normal position.

7. The combination with a gin having a pivoted in breast and a lever operatively connecte therewith for raising and lowering the same, of a pair of normally divergent members one of which being pivotally supported on the gin breast frame and the other pivoted to the lever, and means cooperating with the members for holding them rigid at their points of pivotal connection with each other when the lever has been actuated to raise the gin breast.

Signed at Calumet, in the county of Canadian and State of @klahoma, this 6 day of DecemberA. D. 1927.

'EHUMAS M. BRUCE. 

